Flip-flops (also called zōri, thongs, jandals, or a variety of other names throughout the world) are a type of open-toed sandal typically worn in casual situations, such as outside or at the beach. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap (herein called a “sandal strap”) that passes between the first and second toes and around either side of the foot. They may also be held to the foot with a single strap over the front of the foot rather than a thong.
Prior to the disclosed invention there was no consistent theory for adorning a flip-flop in a replaceable manner. The prior art includes: U.S. Patent Application 2012/0186109 filed by Vanderbeek; U.S. Patent Application 2010/0058619 filed by Ferrante; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,200,959 issued to Spann.
Vanderbeak teaches an interchangeable decorative strand for use in a flip flop that is affixed to the sandal as a sandal strap, but is not attached to an existing sandal strap. Ferrante teaches a method for attaching ornaments to a sandal strap where the ornaments are filled with a fluid, but does not teach an attachment to an existing sandal strap. Spann teaches a thong attached to a sandal where ornaments can be attached to the sandal strap. Like Ferrante, Spann teaches adorning the sandal strap and not a device attached to the sandal strap. One advantage of the present invention over the prior art is the ability to easily change adornments to the sandal without having to replace the sandal strap.